Nantou, Taiwan, Sept. 21 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian adopted a low-key approach Friday in commemorating the second anniversary of the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that rattled Taiwan Sept. 21, 1999.
In the company of only a few officials, Chen made an inspection tour of two mountain villages in the central Taiwan county of Nantou, which bore the brunt of the devastation brought about by the killer earthquake, to see for himself the current state of reconstruction projects there.
Chen visited Hsinyi and Shuili villages, both of which were hit hard by the "921" earthquake, the worst natural disaster to ravage the island in a century.
Chen looked grim-faced while viewing toppled private homes and damaged roads that are still buried in piles of rocks and mud.
Most of Hsinyi and Shuili residents have been evacuated to other areas. Village chiefs took advantage of their meeting with Chen to ask the government to speed up repairs on bridges and roads in the two villages damaged by Toraji.
In response to their appeals, Chen promised to push the Cabinet-level 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission to accelerate various repair and reconstruction projects in the areas.